Names In The News

BMO Harris Bradley Center board member TED KELLNER now "owns a piece" of the Bucks. Kellner's small stake in the team "would seem to present a potential conflict of interest." He said that he was "'acutely aware' of the perception," but added that he had "already taken steps to avoid any conflicts of interest." Kellner said that if there was "any perception of a conflict of interest, he would step down from his work" on the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce subcommittee (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 7/24).

KOBE CAMPUS: Lakers G KOBE BRYANT is buying a Newport Beach, Calif., office building as "his international headquarters." City Council members on Tuesday night approved the $5.8M sale of a 16,550-square-foot office building. The sale is "expected to be final by Sept. 15" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 7/24). The site is roughly one acre in size, and Kobe Inc. President ANDREA FAIRCHILD said that the office building "will be refurbished and remodeled" (L.A. TIMES, 7/24).

Earnhardt (2nd from l) and Olsen (r) have teamed up
tohelp Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte

CAROLINA FOR A CAUSE: Panthers TE GREG OLSEN and NASCAR driver DALE EARNHARDT JR. yesterday announced a "joint fundraising effort" to benefit the Levine Children's Hospital. The pair are "offering fans a chance to win what they're calling a 'Weekend with the 88s,' a play on Earnhardt's No. 88 car and Olsen's jersey number." The raffle winner will "meet both athletes and receive tours of Bank of America Stadium and JR Motorsports, as well as a round-trip helicopter ride from Charlotte to Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 25." The winner will "return to Charlotte" the next day for Seahawks-Panthers and "receive sideline passes, parking passes and premium seats" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 7/24).

LITIGATION NATION: Former NFLer CHRIS KLUWE yesterday decided to hold off on suing the Vikings, "opting to continue discussions." He had "threatened to sue" for more than $10M, as the team "won't release the full investigation into his claims about what he calls its culture of discrimination." But Kluwe's attorney CLAYTON HALUNEN yesterday said that he had spoken with Vikings lawyer JOE ANTHONY, and that they had "agreed to recommend to their clients that they keep talking" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/24)....Pro Football HOFer JIM BROWN filed a lawsuit Tuesday in a N.Y. federal court against Lelands.com and Lelands Collectibles Inc. The lawsuit "seeks to halt the sale" of a '64 NFL championship ring in an online auction that ends tomorrow. Brown "has said the ring was stolen from him decades ago." The suit also "seeks unspecified damages over broadcast remarks that Lelands' founder, JOSHUA EVANS, made about Brown" (AP, 7/23).

NAMES: First Lady MICHELLE OBAMA and daughters MALIA and SASHA attended Tuesday night's World TeamTennis Springfield Lasers-Washington Kastles match. ANNETTE LERNER, wife of Nationals Principal Owner TED LERNER, also was in attendance (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 7/23)....Former LOCOG Chair SEBASTIAN COE is "leading the race for the top job at the BBC as his biggest rival is scratched from the running." Coe is on the "five-name shortlist for the role of chair of the BBC Trust" (VARIETY.com, 7/23)....Phillies SS JIMMY ROLLINS and his wife, JOHARI, yesterday “prepared a batch of fried green beans” as part of the SHARE Food Program in Nicetown, Pa. Rollins also pledged $10,000 from his Rollins Family Foundation to back SHARE’s initiative to “serve healthy and affordable foods to Philadelphians across the city” (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 7/24)....ESPN’s STEPHEN A. SMITH is listed as a BOT member for the proposed Capital Prep Harlem Charter School (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/24)....NHL Rangers G HENRIK LUNDQVIST has “put his Hell’s Kitchen penthouse up for sale” for $6.5M (CBSSPORTS.com, 7/23)....MLB Giants P TIM LINCECUM has listed his 11,028-square-foot Paradise Valley, Ariz. home -- which “includes an indoor sports court with a retractable batting cage” -- for sale at “just shy” of $4M (LATIMES.com, 7/23).

IN MEMORY: Canadian Football HOFer BILL STEPHENSON, who spent “several decades on Canadian radio and television,” died on Tuesday at the age of 85. He also was a member of the Canadian Broadcaster HOF (CP, 7/23).